Here at Adtech, we are specialists in producing fluoroplastic probe covers for stainless-steel temperature-detection and level-detection sensors, both for medical procedures and industrial applications.

Why choose to cover your probes in fluoroplastic?

The answer is that fluoroplastics such as PTFE, FEP & PFA are some of the most inert materials known to man, and they also have a very high temperature resistance for polymeric material, making them non-stick. This makes them particularly useful for protecting sensors in applications where highly corrosive or solvent conditions exist.

How do we create fluoroplastic probe covers?

Fluoroplastics are relatively difficult materials to process, but by using a combination of moulding, shrinking, welding and spraying techniques, we can create fluoroplastic probe covers of any length and diameter, without damaging delicate sensor elements inside.

We use a variety of technologies to encapsulate measurement elements, including FEP shrinkable tubing, moulding, spray coating, and fluoroplastic welding. This enables us to produce probe covers from 0.5mm to 40mm diameter at any length, and we also offer a complete assembly service to insert sensors into the covers, sourcing all components where necessary.

Getting your probe covers from us is generally also much more cost effective than other methods. This is because we have the equipment to produce and store FEP shrink-fit covers of varying thickness and tip profiles in-house. So whatever number of probe covers you need, we can easily produce these for you ourselves, so that you can mitigate needing to over-buy in bulk.

Case Study: Hemispherical-domed tip probe cover for a microwave treatment

One of our medical industry client wanted to create a small diameter sensor probe suitable for a new microwave treatment for patients. The probe covers needed to feature a hemispherical-domed tip with a consistent wall thickness at the sealed tip, as this was the area designed to control each dose of microwave treatment. They also needed to form a secure autoclave so that nothing external could permeate the treatment process from the outside, and be flexible enough for multiple usage, as well as potentially suitable for use within the body (bio-compatible).

To meet these needs, Adtech turned to FDA-compliant raw polymer, and created the medical probe covers using FEP fluoroplastic materials, acquiring full lot-number traceability.

Although we were initially required to produce small batch numbers, our solution became so successful that within three years, our client has now opted to upscale production and transform our initial design into a cost-effective, generic single-use probe cover which can be used on a much wider scale.

We continue to produce probe covers of this design today – and as technology has progressed, it has been pleasing to witness the size of the device also evolving, so that we can now create much smaller diameter assemblies. This means that the microwave treatment process using this method is now much smarter and less invasive – a real success story all round.

Here at Adtech, we are specialists in delivering innovative fluoropolymer solutions for your technical applications. Find out more about our range of fluoroplastic coated probe covers.

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